Elmwood Park, Illinois


Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,521 at the 2020 census. The community has long maintained a large Italian American population, with a more recent influx of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
WWW elmwoodpark.org

History

Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent annexation by the greater city of Chicago. Today, one can still see evidence of a minority of landowners, or share farmers, who voted for annexation to the city in 1915 by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood Park's northeast corner, which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangular border.
At the turn of the century, urban dwellers would take a train on the Milwaukee Road, westward out of the harsh concrete city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park", which was an ancient "grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Ave/Harlem and Irving Park Road. Taking advantage of the park's provenance, a new cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both cemetery and park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park". During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, the village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the stop, and after the namesake elm, which is a native, locally evolved, riparian prairie "bottomland" tree species.
Russell's Barbecue, the oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurant in Chicagoland, is located in Elmwood Park.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Elmwood Park has a total area of, all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 24,521 people, 9,223 households, and 5,979 families residing in the village. The population density was. There were 10,068 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 63.68% White, 3.02% African American, 0.98% Native American, 3.18% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.65% from other races, and 13.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.07% of the population.
There were 9,223 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.55% were married couples living together, 12.43% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.17% were non-families. 32.53% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.73% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 2.61.
The village's age distribution consisted of 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 28% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $63,312, and the median income for a family was $84,159. Males had a median income of $40,257 versus $34,548 for females. The per capita income for the village was $31,248. About 4.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 21,49017,92914,07584.59%72.05%57.40%
Black or African American alone 1293986580.51%1.60%2.68%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 2024240.08%0.10%0.10%
Asian alone 5225707322.05%2.29%2.99%
Pacific Islander alone 6170.02%0.00%0.03%
Other race alone 921510.04%0.08%0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial 4312113751.70%0.85%1.53%
Hispanic or Latino 2,7985,7298,59911.01%23.02%35.07%
Total25,40524,88324,521100.00%100.00%100.00%

Education

Elmwood Park's public schools are operated under Illinois Community Unit School District #401. The schools include:
High school
Middle school
Elementary schools

Transportation

Elmwood Park is accessible via Elmwood Park station on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin, Illinois, and Chicago Union Station. Pace and CTA provide bus service on multiple routes connecting Elmwood Park to destinations across the region.

Sister city

Village Presidents

  1. Carl E. Johnson Jr.: 1914–1915
  2. Merritt B. Marwood: 1915–1920
  3. Adolph H. Bracher: 1921–1923
  4. John R. Beck: 1924–1929
  5. Gerald R. Howe: 1929–1931
  6. Charles P. Hoehamer: 1931–1933
  7. Thomas Careyd: 1933–1935
  8. John A. Cullerton: 1935–1948
  9. Adam J. Roulo: 1948–1953
  10. Elmer W. Conti: 1953–1985
  11. Don Storino: 1985–1987
  12. Richard G. Torpe: 1987–1989
  13. Peter N. Silvestri: 1989–2013
  14. Angelo Saviano: since 2013

Notable people